Welcome to Wise & Wealthy: A weekly newsletter full of proven ideas to become smarter and wealthier. I send this every Monday.
#49 – December 26, 2022
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Wise: Skip the means
”I want to do x, but I need y.” Have you ever said that to yourself? If so, you’re either postponing your goal or you’re trying to find a reason to not pursue it.
We often think we need a degree, certificate, or some kind of experience to do something.
These reasons NOT to do something are just excuses. Unless your desired profession or goal is regulated, you really don’t need anything.
Too often we have certain conditions in our minds. We think we need to have certain credentials, otherwise, we can’t do something.
When I wrote my first book, I was 28. I could tell that people in my environment didn’t take me entirely seriously. They thought it was just some gimmick.
But I felt I had something to say, and I pushed myself actually to say it. I must admit that it was scary. But looking back, I’m so glad I took that step and didn’t pursue more degrees or experience.
What’s some end goal you have in mind? How can you get there faster?
↳ Skip The Means — Go For The End
Wealthy: Excessive budgeting
In my experience, people who are too focused on their spending habits have the same amount of stress as people who are in debt.
Some of my family members are so obsessed with tracking every penny that they are thinking of money 24/7.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, but if you’re controlled by money, it’s taking over your life.
Being obsessed with budgeting nearly always comes from fear.
When you’re too afraid to lose your money, you feel like it’s a serious threat to your livelihood. To deal with that, it’s good to create some distance between yourself and your money.
Sure, save money and be frugal if you want that. But don’t be too extreme. And the same is true if you want to spend money freely. Always make an effort to save.
I live that way because I don’t want to have money stress. I don’t want the stress of always trying to make or save more money.
That mindset really takes away a lot of joy.
↳ Excessive Budgeting Will Not Make You Rich
One interesting thing
As we’re moving into a new year, it’s good to be reminded to focus on things that are important to us. This is from my new collection of essays on living well, Focus on What Matters:
“Living a good life is about not getting distracted… We all need higher goals, projects, and ambitions to live our life a certain way. If you have a reason to do things, you wake up with clarity.”
When you always focus on goals that lie within your control, you — not other people or luck — determine the direction of your life.
Thanks for reading! I hope you found this edition of Wise & Wealthy useful.
All the best,
Darius
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